Various Viruses

Smallpox

DISEASE NAME: Smallpox

Cause: Various viruses

Spread by: Highly contagious, spread by 2 strains, variota major, variola minor. Can either be spread by contact; direct or indirect, or exposure to respiratory secretions of infection.

Symptoms: Sudden onset of fever, headache, backache, vomiting, delirium, rash develops in 2-6 days, and then rash turns into pustular pimples after 1 week, which then become infected by bacteria.

Treatment: At this time, no medications have proven effective for treating smallpox. Patients with this disease would be given supportive therapy, including treatment to keep the patient as comfortable as possible by keeping the skin clean, trying to control the itching, relieving the pain and other symptoms as much as possible

Prevention/Control :Worldwide vaccination campaign against smallpox. Elimination of smallpox virus successfully executed. The vaccine consists of VIG (vaccinia immune globulin) which is injected into the recipient’s upper arm or leg. It must be administered before the lesions erupt and even then it will not stop the virus, only lower its severity.

Vaccination: In eradicating smallpox, strategies such as ring vaccination and herd immunity were implemented, preventing each outbreak from spreading. Government policies such as mandatory vaccinations and strict quarantine contributed greatly to the success of vaccination programs against smallpox. By 1975, smallpox had been eradicated with the exception of Africa. An intensive containment and vaccination program was employed and was successful with global eradication of smallpox being declared by the World Health Assembly in 1980.

Who is at risk? At present, no one is at risk of contracting naturally occurring smallpox in Australia. Any new cases of smallpox are likely to result from an act of bioterrorism, but the risk of this occurring is extremely low. In the unlikely event that smallpox reappears in the community, people could be exposed if they were in close contact with a person with the disease.

Diphtheria

-DISEASE NAME: Diphtheria

Cause Bacteria: poor hygiene

Spread by:Coughs and sneezes

Symptoms:Affects skin, throat, lungs; causes closure of the throat; can damage heart and nervous system mild fever, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, generally feeling unwell (malaise) and a loss of appetite. Within 2 to 3 days a firm, fleshy, grey and sticky coating develops in the throat, which bleeds if attempts are made to remove it. Without treatment, more serious problems such as suffocation, heart damage, kidney damage, and nerve damage can occur.

Treatment:If the disease has developed,